There is no hotel in the plans for the old Wyndham Resort property. The owners of the property have put together a plan for food trailers, alcohol sales, an entertainment area, parking, and a pool with a lazy river. The LPA approved the plan this week and now it’s on to the Town Council.
The new development includes an 11,200 square foot pole barn tiki structure that includes six food truck mobile trailers. According to Patrick Vanasse from The Neighborhood Company the trailers are FEMA compliant and can be easily taken off the island during an evacuation.
The property owner did not include detailed pictures of his proposal but referenced Backyard Social on Treeline as an example of what their project might look like.
The property will also include a pool and a lazy river. There will be live music with outdoor seating. The project will be built in phases. The second phase will include a wave mitigation wall which the property owner is hoping will give them go ahead to change the flood map and alter the flood zone from VE to AE and allow for the pool and lazy river.
Because the project was pased unanimously by the LPA using a Development Agreement only one Town Council meeting is needed. The property owner hopes to be open by this upcoming season.
There is support and opposition on the south end for a temporary setup on this property. Some residents want another choice to eat and drink on the south end while others are concerned with the additional parking spaces that would be added to the property close to their neighborhoods.
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Those of you that are still residing on Fort Myers Beach Estero Islands, are yall just realizing that the direction and vibe of the islands rebuild are not even close to the before Ian!? Come on people! the FMB before Ian died when that storm hit, everyone sold-out after promises of staying strong and rebuilding, which i completely understand the trauma-scars that we are still going through, but I wish there would have had a rule that the buyers would have all been screened first to ask if they had ever been to FMB before Ian and if answer was no they couldn’t buy,, because these new owners didn’t know anything about our FMB none of them understand how amazingly awesome and unique our FMB was before Ian, and locals were worried about Margaritaville changing the vibe to be more commercialized…. hell the town hall approved for a big resort to be built right next to where the pier was and the owner is the owner of the parking lot and (what used to be) Sunset Grill restaurant first thing people see when they come down the bridge on island, and that owner was allowed to purchase all (well most) of Time Square, it’s sad and angers me because he never followed the rules he got fined every single month for illegally renting Beach chairs and umbrellas because he refused to get permitted to avoid the small fees and alot of other rules and laws he broke he just continued to pay his fines and made enough money to purchase several properties after Ian, so there it is the new vibe of FMB it’s sad and unbelievable, 10 years on FMB I can truly say the best 10 years I ever lived THANK YOU FORT MYERS BEACH ESTERO ISLANDS I HAVE FINALLY SAID GOODBYE AFTER 4 YEARS OF SEEING THE DIRECTION OF THE NEW VIBE,,, IT IS WHAT IT IS, AND WILL NEVER BE WHAT IT WAS 😢
This is not the kind of long term development the island needs. It will be a provisional project that will push real develpment down the road.
I hope the impact on the rare wildlife in this area will be considered by the council. There will be a huge influx of visitors who have no knowledge of the nesting sites on the lagoon and peninsula right in front of this property, nit to mention the dogs they will bring to the beach.
I think the town council should be expanded to include two turtles and at least one shore bird.
Bay Street in downtown Fort Myers, Backyard Social on Treeline and Slip Away in Cape Coral are all beautifully done food truck parks, this one can be too. They need to limit the number of parking spots though and incentivize people to use the Beach Park and Ride Trolley.
I agree and along with the carnival atmosphere, the tax base will erode and property values will slowly decline. Congratulations to the forward-thinking Town Council.
This type of trailer park carnival vibe is what we can expect since real development is fought tooth and nail. With the over 200 parking spots, why not add a farris wheel too!
You couldn’t be more correct!
Just curious. Have you visited one of the parks that Carol mentioned to see what they are like. The ones I have been to in the Tampa area are really nice.